Tipplers for turning over beer kegs and like containers



March 18, 1969 M. RUDDICK 3,433,371

TIPPLERS FOR TURNING OVER BEER KEGS AND LIKE CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 2,1968 Sheet 7 of 2 I- I2 |o 22 l8 l5 s L I ll I I {L H H j b 12' |9-- |42&25

lrwenlar Maumc: RuumcK By I v v- KAI-L 06 Attorneys M. RUDDICK March 18,1969 TIPPLERS FOR TURNING OVER BEER KEGS AND LIKE CONTAINERS Sheet FiledFeb. 2, 19

Inventor Maumce Ruumcx v t m ttorney 5 United States Patent C) 10,706/67U.S. 01. 214-1 Int. Cl. Bj 3/00,- B65g 47/00 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A tippler for turning over metal kegs or like containerscomprises a cradle formed by a carrier which is pivotally mounted toenable it to rock about a horizontal axis and two platforms extendingone from each end of the carrier. The platforms diverge from each otherat a substantial angle in a direction away from the carrier, preferablysymmetrically so that there is an included angle of about 110 betweeneach platform and the carrier, so that rocking of the carrier through anangle of substantially less than 180 moves the cradle from a positionwith one platform horizontal to a position with the other platformhorizontal to turn over a container. The rocking of the carrier isbrought about by a pivotally mounted fluid pressureoperated ramconnected to the carrier so that the part of the carrier between itspivotal axis and the connection of the ram forms a crank which is rockedby the ram to rock the cradle between the two positions in which theplatforms are horizontal.

Metal kegs or like containers which are now commonly used for holdingbeer and other potable liquids are washed and filled by automaticmachines and are mechanically conveyed between these machines inbreweries and other filling places. In the course of their conveyanceand other handling, it is often necessary to turn the kegs over from aposition in which their necks or bungs are uppermost to one in whichthey are lowermost or vice versa. For example, it is most satisfactoryto wash the containers when they are inverted, that is with the bungslowermost so that all the washing water or other liquid can be drainedout, but it is usually best to fill the containers in an uprightposition and it is thus necessary to turn the containers over in theirpassage between the washing machine and filling machine.

A variety of forms of tippler are currently in use for turning over thecontainers, but all these tipplers have rather complex mechanisms andare therefore expensive to manufacture. One particular form of tipplercomprises a cradle which is channel-shaped as seen from the side, withthe two sides of the channel forming platforms which are parallel toeach other and both of which extend at right angles to the base of thechannel. The base of the channel, which forms a carrier for theplatform, is centrally pivoted so that it can turn through a 180 from aposition in which one platform is lowermost and horizontal into aposition in which the other platform is lowermost and horizontal. Inuse, a container is fed onto the lowermost horizontal platform on whichit rests on one of its ends and the cradle and the container with it arethen turned through a 180 so that the container is turned over and thenrests on the other platform on its other end. Largely because the cradlemust rock through an angle of a full 180", the mechanism for turning thecradle is complex and the tippler suffers from the disadvantage, alreadymentioned, of being expensive and its operating mechanism also requiresa considerable amount of maintenance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tippler which can beoperated by an extremely simple mechanism so that not only is thetippler cheaper to manufacture than those previously made, but itsmaintenance requirements are much less.

To this end, according to this invention, such a tippler comprises acradle formed by a carrier which is ivotally mounted to enable it torock about a horizontal axis, and two platforms extending one from eachend of the carrier, the platforms diverging from each other at asubstantial angle in a direction away from the carrier so that rockingof the carrier through an angle of substantially less than 180 moves thecradle from a position with one platform horizontal to a position withthe other platform horizontal to turn over a container, and a pivotallymounted fluid pressure-operated ram connected to the carrier so that thepart of the carrier between its pivotal axis and the connection of theram forms a crank which is rocked by the ram to rock the cradle betweenthe two positions in which the platforms are horizontal.

The operating mechanism thus consisting almost solely of thefluid-pressure operated ram is extremely simple and therefore cheap tomanufacture and very easily maintained.

This simple construction results from the inventors realisation that toturn over the container it is not necessary to turn it through a 180' byturning the cradle of the tippler through this angle, but to turn thecradle and the container through an angle somewhat less than 180 and tocause the remaining movement of the container to take place by allowingthe container to roll over to a limited extent on the cradle as thecradle turns so that although the cradle turns through less than 180,the container itself turns through 180 and is thus completely inverted.

With the previous arrangement in which the two platforms forming part ofthe cradle were parallel to each other, the container remained on oneplatform until it had turned through just over and it then slid down thecradle directly into contact with the other platform without itselfturning relatively to the cradle.

With the arrangement in accordance with the present invention, after thecradle has turned through quite a small angle, the container tumblesover onto its side onto the carrier part of the cradle extending betweenthe two platforms and subsequently as the cradle turns still further,the container tumbles further so that its other end comes into contactwith the second platform and its side turns out of contact with thecarrier.

Preferably the platforms extend symmetrically from the carrier, theincluded angle between each platform and the carrier being substantiallygreater than a right angle. In one example the included angle betweeneach platform and the carrier is Thus with one platform horizontal, thecarrier extends upwards from the platform to its pivot at an angle of 70to the horizontal. As the cradle turns, the container on the platformtumbles through an angle of 20 until it is in contact with and carriedby the carrier and then as turning of the cradle continues, thecontainer tumbles through a further 20 onto the other platform. Rockingof the cradle through an angle of by the fluid pressure-operated rambrings the other platform on which the container now rests into ahorizontal position.

It is because the cradle only has to rock through a 140 or an angle ofabout this magnitude that the rock ing movement can be brought about bythe directly acting fluid pressure-operated ram as the crank which isformed by part of the carrier does not pass through a dead-centreposition. It was impossible to use a ram in this way with the previousarrangement, where the cradle moves through a because if the ram werearranged to provide a turning moment with the cradle in one endposition, the cradle would have to pass through a deadcentre position atwhich the ram would give no turning moment before it reached the otherend position with the other platform horizontal.

An example of a tippler constructed in accordance with the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away to show details;and,

FIGURE 2 is a plan.

The tippler comprises a base frame formed by two parallel rolled steelangles 1, one of which only is shown in FIGURE 1. The two angles 1 areinterconnected by a cross channel 2 and two channels 3 and 4 which forma guide track for containers conveyed to the tippler are supported abovethe base frame by supports 5, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 1.

Two channel stanchions 6 extend upwards from the angles 1 and are bracedby being bolted by bolts 7 to the guide channels 3 and 4. The stanchions6 are shown partly broken away in FIGURE 1 to reveal the parts betweenthem. At the tops of the two stanchions 6 are bearings 8 in which ahorizontal shaft 9 is mounted. The shaft 9 carries a cradle 10 and byturning in the bearings 8 allows the cradle 10 to rock.

The cradle 10 includes a carrier formed by two parallel Ts 11 which arewelded at the mid points of their flanges to the shaft 9 and areconnected together by bracing strips 12. Two L-shaped bars 13 are weldedone to each of the T3 11 and together with the Ts 11 and the strips 12complete the carrier part of the cradle.

Two further Ts 14 are welded one to the bottom of each of the Ts 11 and,with the Ts 11 in the position shown in FIGURE 1, extend horizontallytowards the right between the guide channels 3 and 4. The Ts 14 arefixed together by a bracing strip 15 and together with the bracing strip15 form one platform. At the other end of the Ts 11 is a furtherplatform formed by two further Ts 16 and a bracing strip 17 betweenthem. The Ts 1 4 and 16 are Welded directly to the ends of the T s 11and further stiffening pieces 18 are also welded in at the junctions.

A pneumatic ram 19 has the bottom of its cylinder 20 pivotally attachedto a bracket 21 fixed to the centre of the channel 2 and its positionrod 22 pivotally connected to a rod 23 extending between two brackets 24which are fixed one to each of the Ts 11 and only one of which is shownin FIGURE 1.

When the pneumatic ram 19 has its piston rod 22 retracted as is shown infull lines in FIGURE 1, the platform formed by the Ts 14 is horizontaland the bracing strip 15 rests on a resilient pad 25 carried on an angle26 which extends between and is fixed by brackets to the undersides ofthe guide channels 3 and 4. There is an included angle of 110 betweenthe Ts 14 and the corresponding Ts 11 and therefore with the platformformed by the Ts 14 horizontal, the carrier formed by the Ts 11 and theparts attached to them extend upwards at an angle of 70 to thehorizontal. The parts of the T5 11 between the brackets 24 and the shaft19 form a crank which is rotated when the pneumatic ram 19 is extended.When this happens, the whole of the cradle 10 is turned through an angleof 140 and this brings the platform formed by the Ts 16 into ahorizontal position since there is also an included angle of 110 betweenthe Ts 16 and the corresponding Ts 11. The position adopted by thecradle 10 when the ram 19 has been fully extended is shown inchain-dotted lines in FIGURE 1 and with the cradle in this turnedposition, the strip 17 rests on a resilient pad 27 which is supported onan angle 28 fixed by brackets to the undersides of the guide channels 3and 4 in the same way as the angle 26.

In use, a beer keg or like container is conveyed to the tippler by meansof a conveyor consisting of a pair of endless chains or an endless beltextending horizontally between the guide channels 3 and 4. With thecradle 10 in the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, the containercomes to rest on the platform formed by the Ts 14 inbetween the arms ofthe L-shaped rods 13. The ram 19 is then operated so that its positionrod is extended and the cradle 10 starts to turn in a counterclockwisedirection as seen in FIGURE 1. After it has turned through a smallangle, the container tumbles over on the platform 14 until it is restingon its side on the carrier formed by the Ts 11 and the bracing strips 12extending between them. Further rotation of the cradle 10 after the Ts11 have passed through a horizontal position causes the container totumble further until it is resting on what was originally its upper endon the platform formed by the T5 16. When this platform reaches theposition shown at 16 in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 1, the container ismoved off the platform and conveyed onwards by the conveyor.

I claim:

1. A tippler for turning over kegs and like containers, said tipplerincluding a fixed support and a cradle, said cradle comprising acarrier, means pivotally mounting said carrier on said fixed support forrocking movement about a horizontal axis, two platforms, means fixingsaid platforms one to each end of said carrier, said platforms divergingfrom each other at a substantial angle in a direction away from saidcarrier whereby rocking movement of said carrier though an angle ofsubstantially less than 130 moves said cradle from a position whereinone of said platforms is horizontal to a position wherein the other ofsaid platforms is horizontal, a fluid pressureoperated ram and meanspivotally connecting said ram to said fixed support and to said carrierat a position spaced from said pivot means whereby a part of saidcarrier between said pivot means and said means connecting said ram tosaid carrier forms a crank which is rocked by said ram to move saidcradle between said first position and said second position.

2. A tippler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platforms extendsymmetrically from said carrier and the included angle between each ofsaid platforms and said carrier is substantially greater than a rightangle.

3. A tippler as claimed in claim 2, wherein said included angle is aboutReferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,085,936 7/1937 Wolf.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

FRANK E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 19833

